Seed germination and seedling development of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) landraces under elevated salinity conditions

Due to osmotic stress, ion toxicity, and nutrient imbalances, salinity is a common environmental problem that affects about 20.87% of agricultural land. It severely limits crop production, including wheat, by making it harder for seeds to germinate and for seedlings to grow. To study the effect of salinity stress on wheat landraces, we aimed to examine the seedling characteristics of wheat landraces under salinity stress. The study followed a two-factor Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four replications. Four different concentrations of NaCl (0 mM, 25 mM, 50 mM, 75 mM) and five landraces (Bhartale, Jhuse, Rato Gahun, Mudule, and Aadhikhole) were used for investigation during the germination and early seedling stages of wheat landraces. The highest germination percentage (GP) (97.25%) and seed vigour index (SVI) (92886) were observed in Jhuse, whereas the lowest GP (60.50%) and SVI (11494) were observed in Rato Gahun. Rato gahun had the highest mean germination time (5.99 days), and Mudule had the lowest mean germination time (4.82 days). The maximum fresh weight (0.12 g) and dry weight (DW) (0.042 g) were recorded by Aadhikhole and Jhuse, and the minimum fresh weight (DW) (0.10 g) and DW (0.032 g) were observed in Mudule. The maximum shoot and root lengths were observed in Bhartale (3.05 cm) and Jhuse (3.54 cm), whereas the minimum shoot length (SL) (2.07 cm) and root length (RL) (2.41 cm) were observed in Rato Gahun. Above all, salinity stress negatively impacts wheat seedling characteristics, and Mudule shows some promising stress tolerance compared to others.